🏁 Up next
Netherlands
Sprint Weekend
FP13d 0h
Honda trackside manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said Aston Martin “never complained” to Honda despite a difficult start to their new works partnership, with severe battery-related vibration problems early in the season. Orihara said: "They [Aston Martin] never complained to Honda. Of course, we are professional, so we are discussing what the problem is and how we should react, but they always respect Honda, so our relationship was good from the beginning of this year."
Liam Lawson says his aim of fighting at the front in Formula 1 is no longer tied to getting back to Red Bull, after he was promoted to the team for 2025 and then sent back to Racing Bulls after two rounds. Lawson said: "But I think now, honestly, it's not specific. Like everybody else, I'm working towards being at the front and winning in Formula 1, and where that is, I have no idea. And I'm not too fussed about it, but that's what I'm working towards."
Christian Horner has announced a UK book tour this autumn to coincide with the release of his memoir, Drive, with tickets now on general sale. The former Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal said the shows will include live Q&A sessions, writing on LinkedIn: “This autumn, I'll be heading out on a UK book tour to celebrate the publication of my memoir, Drive… We’ll also have a live Q&A.” Horner left Red Bull in July 2025, when he was replaced by Laurent Mekies.
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord says it is “far too early” for the team to prioritise either Kimi Antonelli in the 2026 Formula 1 title fight, insisting Mercedes will focus on the constructors’ championship and let the quickest car win. Lord said: "If a Mercedes can win the race, a Mercedes must win the race. That's what comes first, the team comes first and the constructors' championship is the team's primary focus and primary objective... It's far too early to even be thinking like that... core principle: if a Mercedes can win, a Mercedes must win. We don't mind which of the two cars it is."
Former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer says he used to put tape on his forehead with the word “Netflix” on it so staff would know he was wearing a microphone for Drive to Survive filming. Szafnauer said: "I'll tell you what I used to do whenever I was miked up and on the pitwall. You could say all sorts of stuff because emotions were quite high and they recorded everything. I used to put a piece of tape across my forehead that said 'Netflix'. So whenever anyone was talking to me, they could see I was miked up."
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari still have “a huge amount of work to do” to turn the team’s passion into performance, as they try to close the gap to Mercedes in the championship fight. Hamilton said: "There is still a huge amount of work to do, and improvements we need to make in terms of, like, galvanising the troops, who are all so passionate. At the factory, I've never seen a love for a team like it, and a passion for the team, and it is just about directing that and steering it in the right direction."
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says he stayed at the team “two years too long” before leaving at the end of the 2023 season when his contract was not renewed. Steiner said: "I think I stayed two years too long. What I should have done better or differently was to explain my vision better so they would do it, but I don't know if I would ever have achieved that. What I should have done was just say, 'Hey, it's not working. I'm leaving now.'"
Lando Norris says McLaren’s recent success could have played out very differently if he had ignored team orders to let Oscar Piastri back through at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris said: "100 per cent [it would have affected my relationship with Piastri]. The team wouldn't be the same as they are now. Probably wouldn't have won the Constructors' for the last two years, which probably means we wouldn't have won the Drivers' Championship. I wouldn't have won the Drivers' Championship last year; that's how easy it is for things to go wrong in Formula 1."
Formula 1 could get its first proper wet session of the 2026 season at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, with unsettled weather forecast for Zandvoort. BBC Weather gives Friday a small chance of thundery showers (highs of 19C), while rain looks most likely on Saturday morning, with a 60% chance ahead of the sprint (around 18C) before the risk drops later in the day. Sunday is currently forecast to be dry and sunny, with 17C at the 3pm local race start.
Mercedes technical director James Allison says the team took a multi-year approach to the 2026 regulations because rule changes on that scale can set up a long-term advantage if you start the new era strongly. Allison said: "One of the messages we've repeated internally for several years is that regulation changes of this magnitude can define success for multiple seasons. The team that gets it right at the beginning can potentially build a long-term advantage, so we've been approaching 2026 with that in mind for a long time."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says it is “far too early” to call the team’s Hungarian Grand Prix win a turning point, despite Lando Norris’ victory in Budapest following the first part of a new upgrade package. Stella said: "I think it will be more about how many upgrades the top teams will be in condition to deliver so far and for what's left of the season, because we are only midway in this season. So I think it's far too early to say whether this is a turning point for McLaren or not."
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur says he is not judging whether McLaren have become a consistent threat at the front of Formula 1 after Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix, insisting Ferrari’s focus is on finding more performance from its own car because “each weekend the picture is different”. Vasseur said: "I'm not asking myself this kind of question because each weekend the picture is different. You have to be focused on yourself, to try to bring performance to the car. But already between FP1 and FP2 you have a big swing of performance, and if you think about the balance, it's interesting."
Audi racing director Allan McNish says Gabriel Bortoleto’s “mental composure” and analytical approach to delivering speed give the Brazilian “a lot of potential” in Formula 1. McNish said: "When you've got a mental composure – like he has the natural speed, but also an analytical way of delivering that speed – [it] gives you a lot of potential. And now he's starting to grow with the experience as well to deliver on it."
Ollie Bearman admits Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence at Ferrari is “not ideal” for his hopes of earning a seat at the team, even though he is enjoying seeing the seven-time world champion back at the front. Bearman said: "Of course, in terms of my future, that's not ideal. But I'm still young. I'm only 21. I'm not in a huge rush, and for me, staying at Haas for the foreseeable is not a bad thing. I feel like there's a lot to learn at this team. There's a lot to still achieve."
Marcin Budkowski says his first priority as Cadillac team principal is to listen and observe how the team works together, as he prepares to split his first week between the factory and this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix. Budkowski said: "My first priority is going to be to listen. Honestly, listen and observe in the factory, because I need to meet the people – I need to understand how they work, how they work together, how the various individuals and departments first work together. But throughout my F1 experience, I know that when a team is suffering reliability issues – as Cadillac had during the first half of the season – it's a huge risk of creating a disconnect between the trackside operations and the factory."
Otmar Szafnauer says he remains open to returning to Formula 1, but suggested any comeback might not be as a team principal. Szafnauer said: "What I miss is the competitive nature of Formula 1. What I don't miss is the travel and some of the other stuff. But if I can be of value to improve a team or build a team... But it's got to be at the right level, and I've got to add value, not necessarily team principal because I've been there, done that."
Honda trackside manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara says the company had to accelerate its staff development for Formula 1 after deciding at the end of 2025 that its workforce was not yet at the required level, before bringing back some personnel from its Red Bull-era project. Orihara said: "Probably, at the end of last year, our total human development level was not sufficient for the Formula 1 level. And then, at winter testing, we've had quite tough moments, but those moments have developed our people. They have learned a lot of things about what we need to work in Formula 1... And now I'm confident that we are in a good position to develop a strong power unit and also strong energy management."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says the upgrade package introduced in Hungary was only the first part of a wider set of updates, with more developments planned for the next races. Stella said: "The upgrades we took [in Hungary], they are part of a round of upgrades that is distributed over a few rounds, so this was the first part of these upgrades. There will be a few things coming for the next races."
Lando Norris says “better drivers” can still make the difference in Formula 1 despite Max Verstappen’s view that the new power unit energy-deployment algorithms mean drivers are “not allowed to make a difference”. Norris said: "Some corners, yeah, maybe it tightens up, but if you're a better driver, there are still corners to try and gain an advantage on everyone, so I wouldn't say I necessarily agree with everything. I think if you're driving better, you're still going to be ahead at the very fast tracks like Silverstone and Spa; there are fewer corners at the end of the day that you can gain lap time."
Arvid Lindblad says he has a good relationship with Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson, with the pair able to compete hard on track while also pushing each other in a way he feels benefits the team. Lindblad said: "Honestly, I'd say we have a good relationship. On track, we both want to beat the other, and that's the nature of sport, but when we are out of the car, we have a genuine, nice relationship, and there's a nice dynamic within the team. Like you said, we've pushed each other on a lot, and I think that's been good for both of us."
Get the full feed, faster alerts, and the stories worth following on your phone.
